August 2018

Move beyond the Gopurams, Step into the Spiritual. Hurry and sign up! VALUE FOR MONEY DELEGATE FORM • Each delegate must fill up one form. Photocopies of this form are valid. • All payments must be drawn on Life Positive Foundation. • Funds are eligible for income tax deduction U/s 80G (5) (vi) of income tax act 1961. • Workshops will be allotted on first come-first serve basis. Limited seats available. Rush your entries now • Please fill this form and send it to LIFE POSITIVE FOUNDATION. F-1/9, 1st Floor, Okhla Phase 1, New Delhi – 110020. Ph: (011) 49563777. Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Age: _________ Gender: _______________________ Designation: ________________________ Occupation: ______________________________ Phone no.___________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Pin code: _____________________________ Email: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Price per delegate `.____________________ Deduct 10% Discount `. ___________________ (For LP Club Members only) Membership No._________________________________________ Deduct 15% Discount `. ____________________ (For VIP Club Members only) Membership No._________________________________________ Total Amount: `. ____________________ Mode of Payment: Cheque/Money Order/ DD No._____________________Dated______________ Bank _____________________________________ 7,500 WORKSHOP FACILITATOR TIME CHOICE DAY 1 - August 25, 2018 (Saturday) Forgiveness: Path to Freedom Dr G L Sampoorna 09:00 am - 05:30 pm or Understanding karmic cycles through past life therapy Dr Trupti Jayin 09:00 am - 05:30 pm DAY 2 - August 26, 2018 (Sunday) Alpha Mind Power-Sanjeevani Dr Vijayalakshmi Panthaiyan 09:00 am - 5:30 pm or Mudra Science Abhaykumar Shah 09:00 am - 05:30 pm Pay only ` 7,500/- for two one-day workshops. The investment is inclusive of gourmet meals. For inquiries: V. Venkat: 09350831807, Ajit Singh: 08826466132 Santosh Pandey: 09953929093, Dharamveer: 09312191587 www.lifepositive.org, www.lifepositive.com Email: [email protected] Expo advt.indd 51 19/07/18 1:42 PM

Personality Just as we draw energy from fire, Pitta Dosha types draw energy from the fire inside their body and use this to convert any ideas into solid realities. Confident people are generally more likely to be Pitta Dosha types as they have superb focus, vision, and insight, and have dynamic personalities. They get things done, which makes them very efficient people. Pitta Dosha types have appealing traits, and they follow fashion trends. They can splurge on expensive clothes. Pittas tend to wear white, blue, lavender, and green. Only if they have a balanced dosha can they tap into these qualities. An unbalanced Pitta Dosha mind can make them lose control. Their main trait is anger due to the fiery nature; thus, they become jealous, scornful, and egotistical. Eating foods laden with chemicals as well as consumption of alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, soft drinks, and other processed foods leads to an imbalance in the Pitta Dosha, causing acidity and stomach disorders, fistulas, and haemorrhoids, which are all common. I always emphasise that since our body is made from the five elements of nature, we should eat what is available from nature. Human food is defined in the Vedas as that which is rooted in the earth. So that is what we need to eat as this food has self-supporting principles of life. Thus, foods from the plant kingdom can also be used to bring back an imbalance in the Pitta Dosha type body. So, let’s look at foods that are beneficial to Pitta Dosha types: Vegetables: Cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, bitter gourd, lettuce, carrots, and pumpkin. Fruits: Apples, coconuts, dates, fresh figs, grapes, mangos, melons, oranges, pears, pineapples, plums, lemons, and sweet strawberries. Grains: Basmati rice which is brown or white, barley, oats, and wheat germ. Proteins: Most lentils soaked or sprouted, then cooked. Chickpeas and moong beans are easily assimilated as well as peas and tofu. Dairy products: Cow’s milk, unsalted butter, and paneer. Fats: Cow’s ghee, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and soy oil. 52 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Food.indd 52 17/07/18 4:19 PM

JAU ROTI Ingredients: 100 gm Jau atta 100 ml water ½ chilli paste ½ cup chopped coriander Salt to taste Cow’s ghee Method: • Take water in a vessel and put it on a medium flame. • As it starts boiling, add jau atta, chilli paste, and coriander, and leave it for two to three minutes. Do not stir. • Take it off the flame. Stir with a wooden spoon so that lumps are not formed. • After it is mixed well, cool for five minutes, and transfer it to a flat plate. • Knead well. • Roll it into rotis just like thin wheat rotis. • Apply a teaspoon of ghee on each roti. Serve hot. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] Nuts: Coconut, roasted pumpkin seeds, and roasted sunflower seeds. Spices: Black cumin, turmeric, coriander, peppermint, saffron, and curry leaves. Choose natural salts over commercial salts as commercial salts cause water imbalances. Sweeteners: Sugarcane juice and dates. Avoid red meat and its products. Reduce the consumption of nuts and heaty grains like bajra, and spices like clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. White sugar is very difficult for the pitta type to digest and should be eliminated. Out goes alcohol, aerated drinks, and energy drinks too. Food 53 Food.indd 53 17/07/18 4:19 PM

54 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 I don’t know why I have had a fascination for miracles right from the time I was a child. Growing up in a joint family, we constantly had guests from all over the world, in all shapes and sizes, ages and cultures, living in our house. I used to love the post-dinner time when we would sit with guests and talk about this and that. Even as a child, one of my first questions to people would be, “Have you ever experienced a miracle? Have you ever seen something out of the ordinary?” And I would delight in their stories. Almost everyone had some story to tell. Among these, one of my favourites is the one my dad tells me. It was early days for computers in India, and dad was among the first few engineers to have a very complex machine at his workspace. He had taken up some big orders based on this computer. However, there seemed to be some error which could only be cracked by a missing code. Dad worked day and night to set the mistake right but he just couldn’t. It was the last evening for his assignment, and if he didn’t crack the code he would undergo a huge monetary AHA-MOMENTS loss as well as embarrassment. With a feeling of “I won’t let go,” he walked outside his office and bought himself a sukha bhel (Indian snack) which was wrapped in paper. He sat beside his computer, munching on the bhel. When he was done, he was about to crumple the paper and throw it in the bin, when his eye caught something. The bhelwala (vendor) had used paper from some engineering book, and that exact page contained the code that dad was seeking! Somehow, whenever he used to tell me this incident, his eyes would light up, and I would feel very excited. Later, as I grew into a seeker, my spiritual Master, Mahatria, explained a very simple formula for creating miracles in one’s life: My intelligent effort + energy of my source of faith + my faith in that energy = Miracles are possible. I could clearly understand how this formula had worked for him. Dad had given his best to crack the code. He hadn’t waited for something to happen. Dad had faith that since he had done his best, the Higher Intelligence would do the rest. His faith made the Higher Intelligence work for him, and that’s how the How to perform miracles Megha Bajaj shares her conviction, born of experience, that miracles can be created through effort coupled with faith We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] An award winning author, film-script writer and poet, Megha is an eternal seeker at heart. She also empowers people to write and get published through her online writing workshop. You can read more on www.WonderofWords.org. entire formula got completed. Whenever something isn’t going the way we want it, we need to look at the formula given above, and we will realise one of the above may be missing. Either the effort is not there or the faith is not there. With both present, life becomes a beautiful minefield of miracles, with one springing up every now and then. I have experienced a lot of miracles in my life. Some small and some that altered life as I knew it, forever. In each case, it was a superb amalgamation of having complete faith and putting in all my efforts. Instead of praying for miracles, it is my humble belief that each of us can attract miracles. The Creator created us to create. Let’s use this magic bestowed upon us, wisely and compassionately. Megha column.indd 54 14/07/18 2:51 PM

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Photo: Google Sexuality: The case for moderation Charles Shahar explains how judiciously indulging in sex is the key to conserving the vital energy which, when properly channelled, can help one soar to spiritual heights This article relates to the question of sexual activity and its effects on prana or vital energy in the body. More specifically, I want to address how energy is dissipated through the sexual act. The reader may immediately think that, unlike a monk, you cannot see yourself forgoing this type of pleasure, no matter what type of energy dissipation is involved. Well, who says that you have to? However, there are 56 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 WELL BEING Sexuality .indd 56 16/07/18 3:09 PM

a number of interesting considerations that relate to sexual activity from a subtle energy perspective, which may throw a different light on what is commonly understood about it. First, when the sexual act is performed, there are many levels of expression which may give rise to it. There may be genuine affection involved, which means that the person is relating to the life form that is in front of them, and the heart is open to appreciation and tenderness. This is quite beautiful and uplifting for the people involved and gives rise to many loving feelings. Life contacts with life Human beings have energy centres called chakras, which range from the lower chakras that involve baser desires to the higher chakras which, when awakened, can give rise to spiritual experiences. If the individual is operating solely from the lower chakras and is completely identified on a body level, sentiments such as tenderness may not play a large part in their sexual desire. However, even if little affection is involved, it is misleading to think that the individual is not interested in connecting with something higher through their sexual activity. They will generally want to have physical relations with a person who is alive rather than a corpse. This would suggest that even if life is appreciated in its most basic form, it is still at the root of all attraction. My point here is that if two life forms are involved, behind all the pleasure-seeking, the ultimate pleasure is the contact that life makes with itself. This is a bit of an esoteric point, but one that is important to express because sexual activity is only physical at its most superficial level. The body is a shell that carries life but is itself wholly inanimate—what the Hindus term as jada. Ultimately, what we respond to, what we love and seek to unite with, is the unobvious living essence behind the form. The mechanism of sex Whenever lust is felt between two individuals, the lower three chakras become stimulated, and the entire consciousness rushes to these centres. The mind itself is dragged into this level of experience, such that the body and senses become the focus of its attention. As the sexual activity becomes more intense, the kundalini, or energy force that sits coiled at the base of the spine, begins to stir and a type of heat or fever pervades the body. At this point, the more primal instincts of the first to third chakras, those most implicated in the physical act of sex, subvert the faculties associated with the higher centres. At the brief moment of climax, the kundalini energy activates the various chakras as it surges sharply upwards. A mindless ecstasy is then reached as this energy blows through the crown or seventh chakra, which is called the Sahasrara in Sanskrit. This surge is also associated with a powerful rush of pleasure that the body and senses experience during orgasm. Unfortunately, the kundalini energy will sink back down to the lowest or root chakra almost immediately afterwards, so the delight will be very short-lived. Well-Being 57 Sexuality .indd 57 16/07/18 3:09 PM

The climax associated with the sexual act is an ecstatic experience, a surrendering of mind and, in that sense, a type of transcendence. This is why it has been strongly linked to the spiritual aspect, to the ultimate union of the soul with the divine. It has been said that this ecstatic state is like touching God. There are those who try to regularly and intentionally manipulate the kundalini through sexual activity to achieve various ecstatic experiences, such as through tantric sexual practices. Difference between orgasm and meditative bliss On the other hand, there are qualitatively different states that take place in deep meditation and during the sexual act. For many people, the sexual climax is the only experience they have of transcendence. Hence, the distinction between ecstatic pleasure and meditative bliss is blurred. The two have the same root, which pertains to the kundalini that resides in the base chakra. In meditation, one’s consciousness is elevated toward the Sahasrara or crown chakra. However, while it is true that a form of surrender may happen during the sexual act, and that this may take one beyond the mind temporarily, one’s self-awareness is not enhanced. The body that has not been properly purified in a spiritual sense cannot hold the state of kundalini arousal for very long. Sexual climax is therefore brief and there is often a letdown after its termination. A few seconds of release, with little to show for it afterwards. On the other hand, when one meditates, one connects deeply with the spirit within, and that connection can be maintained even after they open their eyes and interact with the world. The more a person meditates, the more they radiate an inner splendour. This is not generally the case for someone who is constantly depleting their energy through sex, and I’ll explain why presently. Drawbacks of indulgence Getting back to the sexual response, there are a number of other considerations which you may find interesting. In some individuals, the experience will be 58 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Sexuality .indd 58 16/07/18 3:09 PM

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strongly influenced by negative elements related to the lower chakras. For instance, if the solar plexus chakra is implicated, as the kundalini rushes upward, it may be mixed with impulses of aggression or violence. The rush of kundalini energy may also be difficult to support for some people. A sudden opening in the heart chakra, for instance, may cause a heart attack if there is already a major pranic weakness in this area. A person who is obsessed with sexual activity will be stuck mostly at the level of their second or sacral chakra. They will exude strong sexual vibrations in their interactions with others, which may appeal to those who are also operating from this chakra but will seem offensive to people with more refined sensibilities. For the person who is thus fixated in a type of ‘genital consciousness’, they will think about sex constantly and, if they are heterosexual, will relate to members of the opposite gender mainly in such terms. Their second chakra is often overactive and requires constant release. Since their mind is locked in this chakra, they will indulge in endless sexual fantasies, constantly searching for pornographic material to titillate themselves and often engaging in masturbation for relief. The second chakra is often associated with sexual perversions when it is over-stimulated and warped in its structure or if it is spinning in the direction opposite to its natural inclination. Sexual energy and celibacy Most adults are not necessarily overly fixated in their second chakra but neither are they celibates. They enjoy their sexual activity and see it as a necessary or natural part of living. They are perfectly right to do so. One can be pure at heart and have sex at the same time. The two are not mutually exclusive conditions. In fact, most of the great religions of the world do not necessarily discourage sex for pleasure’s sake, although they usually emphasize procreation as the ultimate goal of the sexual act. Photo: Google Sex is a way of relating to another life form 60 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Sexuality .indd 60 16/07/18 3:10 PM

One can ask why it is that people with a strongly religious lifestyle often stress upon celibacy? A priest or nun may say it is to channel his or her thoughts toward God. This assessment is actually not far from the truth. But it also has a lot to do with vital energy. The more this is conserved in the body, the more this energy is available for pursuing higher spiritual awareness. If one squanders their energy reserves, they will lack the alertness and stamina necessary to lead their attention to a higher dimension. The value of ojas Why does spirituality require stamina? We often think of stamina in physical terms, how it is important when we jog for three miles or swim across a lake. But there is a spiritual energy that relates to a different type of staying power. A person who cannot keep his or her mind focused or alert during meditation, for example, lacks this type of stamina. Sexual overindulgence perpetuates lethargy and, as such, makes the mind dull, heavy, and susceptible to the influences of the grosser nature. Sexual activity uses up energy, which is why there is usually a feeling of tiredness or letdown that comes after the sexual act. There is also a sensation of having lost something, which is obviously more pronounced on the part of the male, and actually reflects what is happening on a subtle level. The ancient yogis described a subtle fluid, which is contained in semen, called ojas, a form of concentrated energy, distinct from the prana itself. Other terms in the vernacular, such as mojo, loosely refer to this same force. In tantric practices, it is known as jing. Ojas is likewise stored in the ovaries of women. They lose a certain amount of this vital energy during menstruation, although depending on their constitution, their recovery of ojas may not take long. Women who bleed a lot, on the other hand, will lose more vital fluid, and this is partly why they will feel exhausted for long periods. Ovarian cysts or blockage of the fallopian tubes will likewise disrupt the circulation of vital fluid in their body. Great spiritual feats It was said by the yogis that a man who retains his ojas will be capable of great feats of spiritual mastery: Control of the senses, the ability to remain unmoved amidst the distractions of the world, superior power of concentration, and the aptitude to exercise one’s will over nature and other people. Such a being will emanate lightness and vitality and will be considered charming and attractive. His physical and mental stamina will be truly impressive, and he will be able to perform great austerities. Well-Being 61 Sexuality .indd 61 16/07/18 3:10 PM

When the ojas is channelled towards the higher centres, it becomes a potent force. In fact, the yogis were scientific about it. They had a formula in which they said that a certain amount of prana in food can be converted to blood, which can be made into a certain amount of semen, and so on. They even calculated how long it would take to recover one’s spiritual powers from a discharge of semen. It is hard to know how seriously one is to take all of this in terms of specific details and formulae. The cautions I point out regarding the sexual response have more to do with overindulgence, which can have some unwelcome consequences for the subtle energy body. It can lead to an extreme dissipation of the vital fluid and its effect will be felt for a long time. However, the other extreme, such as abstinence from sex, may cause repression in some, and thus is not necessarily for everyone. In the case of the execution of all desires, moderation is recommended. For instance, it is interesting to observe those known as modern-day Lotharios. After years The climax associated with the sexual act is an ecstatic experience, a surrendering of mind and a type of transcendence. This is why it has been strongly linked to the ultimate union of the soul with the divine. of libertine behaviour, they often look spent, as though the life has been squeezed out of them. There is little ojas in their system; they seem dull and unresponsive. It is also noteworthy that athletes are discouraged from engaging in sexual activity before a major competition. Boxers, for instance, have long been cautioned about this before a big match or even during training. In a way, the energy that is saved through their abstinence can be redirected towards the physical activities they need to perform. It is a kind of sublimation of the seminal force. Channel sexual energy Celibacy, or sexual abstinence, should not be understood merely on the level of obvious actions. It is not complete if the person abstains from sex but is constantly thinking about it. They will still be operating from their second chakra, so they will need to know how to channel the pent-up energy. Otherwise, it may be expressed as aggression, unhappiness, bitterness, or irritability. It is observed, for instance, that not all monks or nuns in a monastery will necessarily be vital folks, in touch with a particularly joyful dimension. In fact, one might wonder why some of them are downright crabby and, if anything, not very connected to the life force within. The answer is that the vital energy might get stuck in many ways, for instance, perpetuating stale 62 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Sexuality .indd 62 16/07/18 3:10 PM

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] concepts and ideas. The life energy must be directed into a higher channel if the senses are to be truly transcended. This is what celibacy for spiritual ends is really about. The more refined one’s awareness is, the more mastery they will have over their senses. However, in order to achieve such higher awareness, one must get beyond the lower chakras. The benefits of conserving sexual energy The energy can be released through the sexual act, or it can be sublimated for other purposes. However, if the sexual drive remains stirred yet untapped, it can become a hindrance to individual growth and can lead to imbalances of the mind. The family man who engages in sex in a natural and loving way should not worry about depleting his ojas. As long as growth is promoted in any relationship and one does not overindulge, sex will just be part of a healthy sharing between two people. For the person who is intent on conserving their energy and who wishes to refine it for spiritual ends, the signs of their abstinence are remarkable and subtle at the same time. There is a shiny glow around their features. There is clarity about their person, and their mind is invigorated and alert. Such people radiate blissfulness, a kind of joy that reflects a sense of fulfilment that cannot be attained through worldly pleasures alone. Unfortunately, we find other ways to burn seminal energy, which include doing stressful work, worrying, drinking alcohol, using drugs, drinking too much coffee, smoking, and partying hard. In my spiritual practice, particularly in the meditation classes I teach, I notice that people who are low on ojas generally sleep through the meditations. They cannot hold the meditation posture, are usually slumped over, and unconscious of their existence. On the other hand, people with conserved ojas tend to stay alert and maintain a lightness that is helpful if their spirit is to soar to higher dimensions. There are ways to conserve and enhance the store of ojas in the organism. Hatha yoga is a highly beneficial practice for enhancing this energy. Pranayama is excellent for the manipulation of this vital force. Finally, the sattvic or refined lifestyle, which includes eating sattvic foods and avoiding extreme conditions of any type, is essential for anyone wishing to enhance their consciousness above the mundane level of human experience. Well-Being 63 Sexuality .indd 63 16/07/18 3:10 PM

64 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] Before I entered the path, I was completely confused about myself. Was I good or bad? Intelligent or stupid? Different people had different opinions about me, and I could never understand which one described me the best. I wanted to be considered a good and intelligent person but soon realised that my parameters of goodness were not in alignment with the rest of the world. I remember, one day, my mother had packed cake in my lunch box. While standing at the bus stop waiting for the school bus to arrive, I saw a scrawny stray dog loitering around the area, apparently hunting for food. I felt pity for it. I took out my lunch box from my school bag and went after the dog to give it cake to eat. Funnily, as I approached it, it ran in the opposite direction feeling afraid of me. As soon as my schoolmates standing there saw this scene, they burst into laughter. A senior boy joked, “It would have been better had you given the cake to me, Shivi. I would have JOURNEY Spirituality has helped Shivi Verma have greater faith in the voice of her heart, which she now unhesitatingly expresses Confidence in goodness happily gobbled it.” I went red with embarrassment; I felt stupid. Similarly, elders in my family often taunted me for my fondness for animals, love for books, or my sense of justice. They wanted me to be more practical and worldly-wise. I remember seeing a hungry calf being dragged away from its mother by a few people in my village and feeling powerless to stop them because of my fear of their ridicule and censure. At school too, I was quite unpopular because I believed that rules should not be broken and teachers must be respected. Any rejection of this belief system felt like a personal rejection to me. I mostly did not find any support from my class-fellows on such matters. As a result, I began to believe that I was all wrong, stupid, and hateful. When I sought the Divine, I was in dire need of some selfvalidation. His enthusiastic response acted like cool showers on a parched piece of earth. The more I meditated, the more clarity I gained. Gradually, I realised that my instincts were not wrong. I just Editor of Life Positive, Shivi Verma is a devotee who found all her answers in loving God passionately. need not fear rejection and ridicule from others. How it liberated me! Now I don’t think twice if I have to correct an imbalanced action. Whether it’s asking strangers to not litter the roads, requesting people to be kind to animals, adopt environmentally friendly practices, or not resort to unscrupulous means to make money, I do it with uninhibited faith and confidence. And I see that people listen with attention and reverence. There is a smile of approval on their faces. As for the ones who try to belittle me, they clearly see that it’s not possible to break my confidence like before. I have rediscovered my voice and my faith in my goodness. I also cannot help but notice that it’s not my voice but the voice of the Divine throbbing within my heart. Shivi colum.indd 64 14/07/18 10:33 AM

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Merging with Maharishikaa Rajesh Khanna experienced unprecedented freedom and joy as he surrendered his ego at the feet of his beloved guru Maharishikaa Preeti Maiyaa Blessed indeed are they who find themselves at the feet of their guru, and so am I, having embarked on the epic journey of realising the self, dragged by Maharishikaa Preeti Maiyaa, with my ego in tow. I knew Maharishikaa Preeti Maiyaa since our school days, and since we were family friends, I often visited her house. It’s not easy to accept someone whom you have once attended school with, as your guru. I had not been in touch with Maiyaa for a long time till the day I received an invitation to the first Presence day in Mumbai, over a decade ago. In a gathering of about 60 or 70 seekers, various far-ranging questions were raised, and I was amazed to see Maiyaa giving precise answers to all of them, be it relationships, money, sex, or existential queries about the purpose of life, and the after-life. Life-altering gaze After the session, each of us had the opportunity to take Maiyaa’s darshan, which involved sitting in front of Maiyaa and gazing into her eyes. This was one of the most powerful experiences that I’d ever had. As I knelt before her and looked into her eyes, it seemed like an eternity before she broke the gaze. I’ve had many opportunities to take Maiyaa’s darshan in the past decade, but that experience is particularly etched in my mind. I believe I underwent a change at that time as I never missed a single Presence meeting for a very long time, till the time I took an introspective break (as Maiyaa puts it). My friend and guru-bandhu, Ramesh, who had invited me to my first Presence day often visited our office and sometimes offered us (me and my partners) advice related to effectuating certain changes in our office or operating in a specific way. His casual manner of putting forth the suggestions, never once gave away that they were not his own.   66 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 YOUR JOURNEY Maharishika.indd 66 16/07/18 3:13 PM

Maharishikaa Preeti Maiyaa For example, he told us how objects lying unused over long periods attracted negative energy and convinced us that clearing our office of the junk that lay gathering dust over the years, in our loft, would pave the way for clear thinking and prosperity. Interestingly, soon after we had disposed of all the old and un-utilised articles (old computers, spares, empty cartons, etc.), we felt a transformation in the energy of the office. Maiyaa’s benevolence A vaastu expert once advised us to embed some copper wires in the floor of the office and in my flat. These copper wires were ‘prayed upon’ or ‘energised’ (as he put it) to usher in prosperity and wellbeing. When Ramesh learnt about this, he dissuaded us and also explained why it was not a good idea. He explained that the process involved disembodied beings (spirits), and it wasn’t advisable to get involved with something we Your Journey 67 Maharishika.indd 67 16/07/18 3:13 PM

had little or no knowledge about. He said that one would not know what price one would have to pay for getting involved with spirits or the consequences thereafter. Good sense prevailed, and we decided against the installation of the copper wires. It was much later that I learned it was none other than Maiyaa sending these ‘suggestions’ through Ramesh to me. I kept attending Presence and found the sessions fascinating. Maiyaa had manifested a body of knowledge that covered practically every aspect of life and living. Her answers were cutting edge, scientific, practical, and filled with beauty that satiated the intellect each time she gave an insight. With passing time, I learnt that Presence was not simply about understanding things conceptually. It was fundamentally about transformation—transforming those aspects about myself that obstructed my own prosperity, my self-realisation. Ego’s enemy The most fundamental transformation was my acceptance that there was someone who knew more than what I did. Having thus been made aware, it was only logical that I accept Maiyaa as my guru and, having done that, I had to give of myself and remain in surrender to her. In the early stages, every time I received an invitation to a Presence, I would feel my heart sink because each time I attended it, the experience was heavy, in the literal sense of the word. The gross nature of my body was like dragging a piece of lead. While on the one hand, everything that Maiyaa said resonated with me and her answers set me free, on the other hand, I felt a certain heaviness lugging at me. I often wondered why… It was, of course, the ego crying for survival (which Maiyaa told me later). The ego knew that this is where it would be hacked. Maiyaa showed me—and it was an incredible realisation—that it was the society that shaped our ego so that we could serve it. I lived largely as per the rule book, The journey towards self-realisation entails embracing the truth and surrendering the ego to the guru. 68 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Maharishika.indd 68 16/07/18 3:13 PM

the norms and protocols, mores, and ethical code of conduct that my society had created for itself. This ensured that I adhered to the straight and narrow path and served the society by desiring and acquiring goodies like everyone. A fine way of keeping the truth of our existence hidden. This perhaps was the story of the whole of humanity. The master sculptor The master sculptor that Maharishikaa Maiyaa is, she sculpts away at the ego to unveil the truth hidden within a being. My ego, which wanted to survive at all costs, reared its head time and again and continues to do it ever so often. It did so in the most cunning and baffling of ways—manipulating, pretending, and obfuscating. Yet, Maiyaa recognised the subtlest play of my ego and removed it swiftly and incisively. Casting aside layers and layers of falsehood with surgical precision, she chiselled away the foul stuff which had weakened me, till a fragrant and strong self began to emerge. One feels stifled, claustrophobic, nauseous, feverish, and suffers all types of psychosomatic ailments while undergoing this extreme ego whittling—a long-drawn, relentless, and painful process of intense and microscopic observation of each act committed and every word uttered. Well, it’s as long drawn and relentless as the shishya would want to make it. Sometimes, so subtle is the play of the ego that even the shishya doesn’t know what they have done to be subject to such intense scrutiny. The guru battles the ego till it’s reduced to just that much which is required for mundane living. The shishya is increasingly anchored in the truth. This process, Maiyaa tells me, will continue Rajesh Khanna prostrating at the lotus feet of Maiyaa in total surrender Your Journey 69 Maharishika.indd 69 16/07/18 3:13 PM

till my last breath. And then, there is also the intense relief—relief that I can transform and live, guided by the truth. The easier way I’m amongst the many shishyas who have run away from their guru’s ashram thinking that they’d never return. Very few students survive these battles; most don’t come back. The shishya can bypass this long and painful process by taking an ingenious shortcut on this yatra to the self. There’s hardly any egobashing and painful experiences, and it is smooth sailing for most of the part. This shortcut is called surrender (samarpan) to the guru. An unequivocal surrender, where you do not entertain doubts. Actually, in a classical guru-shishya relationship, this is de rigueur. Maiyaa often spoke about surrender. Most of us, coming from a westernised, urban, English-educated upbringing, struggled with this concept. For most of us, the word had negative connotations. It meant to give up control, to not have free will, to lose. Another issue was acknowledging that the one sitting on the aasana knew more. The ego didn’t want to accept this. I had been attending Presence for a couple of years and was struggling with the idea of surrender. Try as I might, I simply could not grasp it! The final act Then one day, I decided that the only way to apprehend this was to experience it. Before the close of the Presence meet, we had a 20-minute session called ‘strength’. During ‘strength’, Maiyaa awakened shakti within each seeker. We sat in quiet contemplation and could take turns to go in front of Maiyaa to do a sashtanga namaskar (full body prostration). What a struggle it was! I felt like stone, unable to move from my chair. Totally tense. Bowing down like this to another was never an option. After a humongous effort, I managed to stand up and make my way to the front. I knelt before Maiyaa and then, for the first time in my life, I lay prostrate, in the ancient posture of total surrender, the sashtanga namaskar!It seemed like an eternity before I got up to take my seat. The first thing I experienced was physical relief. The tension in the body vanished instantly, and I felt light. My head felt empty too, as though, along with my body, I had also laid down at Maiyaa’s feet, the heavy sack that I had been carrying in my head all these years. A sack full of ideas about myself and the world at large. A sack full of nothing—fodder for the ego. Lying prostrate in front of Maiyaa, I did not experience my ego for even a millisecond. 70 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Maharishika.indd 70 16/07/18 3:13 PM

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] The sashtanga namaskar is an ingenious kriya (practice). The body is at its most vulnerable, incapable of defending itself. A no-ego position. What a discovery! It’s a very simplistic and absurd interpretation that surrender to the guru is akin to giving up one’s freedom. This is how the ego experiences surrender: That one doesn’t have any say in one’s living, and that the guru is directing every move—and such absurd thoughts. And sadly, I too had to battle these machinations of the ego. However, nothing of the sort happens. A shishya who has made it to that step, experiences surrender as exquisite freedom. The taste of freedom The guru only frees the shishya from the clutches of the ego and from the shackles of social obligations, to make him hear the voice of truth from the antar-aatman, the ‘source’ within; to become fearless, brave, and courageous; to remain anchored in the truth at all times. The guru ensures that the shishya is steady on the path to knowing the Self and to empowering and serving others. This automatically ensures prosperity and minimal pain of suffering for the shishya. This is a freedom experienced by very few on the planet. I’m blessed to have experienced true freedom in this life. Unless the shishya surrenders to the guru, things are bound to remain more or less the same. At best, only a few cosmetic changes may occur because of the purely conceptual understanding of what the guru is teaching. Students have been known to experience anxiety as part of this ‘surrendering’ process. A very common feeling (and also quite scary) is that one is dying! Many experience this as pain in the heart or in the solar plexus area. Yet, others experience this as suffocation or as palpitations. Maiyaa says it’s the ego that is dying and that the shishya must endure it till it passes. I’ve suffered too, throwing up bile every morning for nearly ten months! And weeping incoherently. I see now that surrender could come easier than it did with me. It could begin with a simple sashtanga namaskar. When the material body is put in a posture of surrender, the ego will follow. It may take some time, but it will happen. I try to do the sashtanga namaskar kriya as often as I can, even if I’m not in front of Maiyaa. For, eventually, as Maiyaa has so often said, surrendering to the external guru is only the preparation for the final great surrender, which is to the great guru within, when we transform into the unquestioning servants of the antaraatman—the source, the truth within us—and begin to follow its commands. Your Journey 71 Maharishika.indd 71 16/07/18 3:13 PM

72 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] My increasingly tangible experience of being spirit and not matter is giving me a whole new insight into the management of addictions. I have been a food addict for quite some time now. It was not that I ate in huge quantities but that I could not control what I put into my mouth and what I did not. My inability to be in control of what I ate was a matter of deep guilt and shame and damaged my self-esteem considerably. The matter became even more fraught when my love for food sent me spinning into ill-health, first through asthma, triggered essentially by food allergies, and later through Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Knowing that I was endangering my health made me even more frightened of food and sent me into a vicious cycle. The more I feared food, the more conscious I became of it and the less I could control my attraction for it. Of course, inner work over many years has reduced the intensity of the issue considerably and brought about a management of my food fixation, but it did not free me of it. SPIRIT Suma Varughese finds that identifying with spirit and not matter affords freedom from addictions Freedom from addictions My new recognition of being spirit and not matter is, however, giving me the philosophical basis through which I can free myself of the issue altogether. These days I tell myself, “As spirit, I am perfect self-control and desirelessness.” This immediately shifts my relationship to food and makes the addiction irrelevant. As long as I considered myself to be matter, I felt I was in the thrall of the addiction and unable to free myself of it. But, as spirit, the question of addiction does not even arise. I am simply not the addicted personality I thought myself to be. I find that this is considerably speeding my detachment with the issue and giving me far more control over it. If I am self-control and desirelessness, I do not have to fear food. I do not have to fight temptation. I can trust myself to eat the right food in the right proportions. I can well be free of the whole issue. The more I identify with my true nature of desirelessness and selfcontrol, the easier it is for me to dissolve the conditioned Suma Varughese is a thinker, writer, and former Editor-in-Chief of Life Positive. She also holds writer’s workshops. Write to her at sumavarughese@ hotmail.com. perception of my having low self-control. I do believe that this is going to free me fully. Only a fellow addict will identify with the liberation this prospect brings. To be in control over food would give me back my sense of dignity and self-respect. The first point of the famous 12 point programme acknowledges that one is powerless to free oneself of the addiction and that one throws oneself at the mercy of God. Identifying with spirit is to identify with the God part of us and not the frail and failing human. It elevates us beyond the hold of matter. It enables us to see ourselves as far bigger than the problem, and once we do that, the problem is licked. Spirit .indd 72 14/07/18 3:09 PM

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Kamakhya to Kanyakumari To soothe her frayed overworked nerves, Nandini Sarkar traversed Assam, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu on a rejuvenating journey—a veritable massage for the body and soul! Once in a while, I get trapped into long and vicious spells of work. During such cycles, I’m barely sleeping. My daily sun-bathing and energisation exercises come to a screeching halt and my Kriya Yoga is also on the back-burner. It’s only work, work, and more work. I try to silence the voice of my soul by telling it that the work is important and is going to be of service to others. My soul remains unimpressed and prods me to get real. It reminds me that I’m soon going to fall sick and have a total burnout. However, even though I well know the consequences, I’m possessed by the devil. Last year, I hit such a nadir in December. My pressure fell to ridiculously low levels, a doctor had to be Photo courtesy: Nandini Sarkar summoned, and I was unable to go to work for three days on the 74 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 SPIRITUAL TRAVEL Healing Journeys B.indd 74 18/07/18 4:44 PM

trot. Divine grace manifested in the form of our family friend, Ajay Jasani, who insisted that we travel to Assam and enjoy hospitality at the famous Deha tea estates in Jorhat. Ajay is a self-made, self-taught, tea trader, who has been working since he was 10 years old and has built his business from scratch. When a man of this indefatigable spirit and willpower makes a recommendation, it sure counts. The Deha tea estates, we were informed, are owned by the iconic tea-garden man, Satyanarayana Aggarwal and his able son, Bikas. My husband, Sushobhan, the ever-nomadic Bong, jumped at the idea of travel as a cure for illness. Soon, Sushobhan had worked out a great sounding plan. Our family of six eager travellers, with parents and children in tow, was soon on its way for a year-end break to the incredibly lush and green Assam. We would relax, bond, and unwind over endless cups of Assam chai. Preparing to enter the land of the Rhino For us, the journey of a thousand miles always starts with prayers for divine support. We started by seeking blessings from the Divine Mother at the famous Kamakhya shrine in Guwahati. Despite having a special entry pass, we had to wait in the serpentine darshan line for nearly two-and-ahalf hours. Lesson 1: In the journey of life, your patience will always be tested. If you can stick it out somehow and go with the flow, victory is yours. Standing in the line, we chanted, did japa, and prepared ourselves for the joy of imminent darshan. Finally, when we reached Mother’s yoni and the priest singled us out to receive coins from the altar, we felt the Divine Mother’s loving approval! Patient sadhana is a prelude to reaching the goal, and there are always sweet rewards in store, as we soon discovered from other unfolding events. Our chatty driver, who had taken a liking to us, led us to the Navagraha (nine celestial bodies) temple, 10 kms away from Kamakhya. Most tourists are not aware of this ancient and ‘awakened’ or jagrata temple since the tour operators rarely take people there. Lighting lamps at each graha and chanting the Navagraha mantras was a beautiful, moving, and cathartic experience. The hoary temple and the Spiritual Travel 75 Healing Journeys B.indd 75 18/07/18 4:44 PM

hoary mantras added to our feeling that an event of spiritual cleansing had just taken place for us. Sunshine and Jagannath darshan in Dibrugarh Like the rippling fields of Bodh Gaya, with its expansive blanket of white kash flowers, the rippling tea gardens of Dibrugarh charmed us at first sight. The warm winter sunshine, lighting up rows upon rows of green tea shrubs, uplifted our minds and took us right into the bosom of divine nature. Darshan at the Jagannath temple in Dibrugarh, a prototype of the famous Puri Jagannath temple, delighted and gladdened our hearts. It’s easy to spend a couple of hours at the Jagannath temple, admiring the sculptures in the different temples inside its boundary, the wonderful murals, the peaceful silence, and sitting quietly under the azure blue sky, soaking in the divine vibrations. The Kaziranga trail One of my favourite books as a child, was the award-winning title, The Kaziranga Trail. Hence, I was waiting with bated breath, to do the Kaziranga safari. Waking early at 3:00 am, we reached the Central Range at 3:45 am and were issued our elephant ride coupons. Peals of excitement rent the cold morning air as groups of six, mounted elephants from tall boarding points and entered the jungle. We were delighted with the ethereal morning light, traversing vast expanses of jungle tract on elephant back, darting after rhinos that were periodically sighted. The grey, one-horned rhino, with its layers of thick impenetrable skin, strolling nonchalantly on jungle roads or suddenly appearing right in front of our elephant, took us back to prehistoric times. We felt like prehistoric hunters, out in the jungle with its wild animals. The marvellous Assamese fish curry that we feasted on at night, after returning to our jungle lodge, also added to our contentment and feeling of being in the wilds. Organically yours, Deha Before proceeding to Deha tea estate, we were invited for tea and snacks at the Dibrugarh home of the owners. Sitting in their huge colonial mansion, with tony antiques and artefacts, surrounded by well-dressed sons, nephews, wives, daughters-in-law and brothers, Satyanarayanaji’s family presented a scene straight out of a Balaji TV serial. A constant stream of visitors entered and touched his feet; food and conversation were flowing and laughter emanated from all corners. The patriarch has a large heart and supports a mission called Eklavya. The Eklavya 76 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Healing Journeys B.indd 76 18/07/18 4:44 PM

mission sponsors the education of children in remote villages of India, by providing teachers and learning materials. Satyanarayanaji has successfully spearheaded Eklavya across 10,000 villages in the North East. The next day, we travelled to Deha, which means, something that has emerged from the body or deh. The Deha Tea Estate has 266 hectares of land under tea plantation, providing employment opportunities to more than 1000 workers. The world of organic tea Early next morning, we sat on the verandah with Bikas, sipping tea and enjoying the beautifully landscaped gardens surrounding us. We played Hari haraye namah in the background as we chatted and Bikas told us it was one of the best mornings he had ever experienced at Deha; a blend of the spiritual and the secular. Another morning treat was in store for us, as Bikas took us to his organic and spice garden behind the bungalow. With fresh, orange carrots eaten straight from the ground, tasting healing leaves plucked fresh off trees, spicy peppers to bite into and make you feel wide awake, a magic masala leaf that tastes like masala chai, and a Dilwale Dulhaniya... moment in the yellow mustard field, it was truly a healing and calming foray into Mother Nature’s warm and welcoming bosom. Deha follows the system The Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari Spiritual Travel 77 Healing Journeys B.indd 77 18/07/18 4:44 PM

of Vedic agriculture, which has been picked up from the Vedic script of ‘Vrikshayurveda’, a system which is self-sustainable and uses local ingredients to replenish the soil with the use of cow dung and cow urine. Moksha at Mekosha Recharged, I stepped into the new year, 2018. But January and February 2018 proved to be months of ceaseless travel. Hopping between flights and hotels, all the danger signs of another body breakdown started appearing on the horizon. This time, a dear friend Mamta, appeared as an angel in disguise. Mamta’s husband, Ram is a well know hotelier and one of the movers behind the Michelin-starred restaurant, Indian Accents, in Delhi. Mamta informed me that Ram had started Mekosha, an Ayurvedic boutique spa and resort, just off Trivandrum, in Kerala. Mamta and Ram graciously extended an invitation to take healing Ayurvedic massages and unwind at Mekosha. Mekosha stands like a powerful testimony in the heart of Kerala, of how man and Nature can work in tandem, to create a thing of joy. It’s a Seven Senses kind of property on the Lazying around: River jetty at Mekosha 78 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Healing Journeys B.indd 78 18/07/18 4:44 PM

banks of a meandering green river with the lush greenery that you can find only in God’s own country. It has its own organic spice and vegetable garden to delight you during mealtimes. There are heaps of seating points all over the three-acre property where you can just plunge into the heart of Nature, sitting by the side of a wide and expansive green river, under gently arching trees and listen to cooing birds enliven the atmosphere. They conduct yoga and meditation by the side of the river. Mekosha feels like a rishi’s ashram from olden times, however, it has all the luxe amenities of a modern resort. We were welcomed with a soothing, fresh lime-cucumber-and-mint drink and escorted to our room. Mekosha rooms are huge suites done up very tastefully with eco-friendly designs, artefacts, and materials. Each suite has a large verandah overlooking the river and clusters of trees. Prayers to Dhanwantari At Mekosha, a bouquet of Kerala Ayurvedic massages and healing ayurvedic treatments are on offer and they form part of the room package. Soon after arrival, we were gently encouraged to start the healing massages. We were led to the Spa centre. My masseur, Shaiji, a gentle, smiling Amazonian, gave me a wonderful spiritual experience along with the massage. A devotee of Shri Karunakar Guru, founder of the famous Shanthigiri Ashram, Trivandrum, she generated huge positive energy by chanting throughout the massage. Shaiji lit a lamp and chanted to Dhanwantari, the God of Medicine at the outset. Then, throughout the one-and-a-half-hour full body massage, she chanted various invocations to the guru. Entering the quaint wooden chamber at the end of the massage and then a typical Kerala washroom with brass tubs and brass mugs, and besan to scrub the body were very interesting experiences. Mealtimes at Mekosha are an organic and culinary delight. The brass plates and bowls, the organic salads and juices to begin any meal with and the cooling drinks to end the meal were a gourmet’s delight. Anoop, the F&B Manager, does not allow a single item to be repeated at any meal. The beetroot and oat soup, the tasty local curries, and the lighter than light uthappams were a treat for our tasting buds. We chose to sit on the portico by the riverside and eat our meals. That in itself was a heavenly experience, With a verdant and tastefully done up estate sprawling along a meandering and expansive river, Mekosha symbolises how man and Nature work in tandem to create a thing of joy. Spiritual Travel 79 Healing Journeys B.indd 79 18/07/18 4:44 PM

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] especially during Dol Purnima, when we sat under the light of the full moon, listening to the mantra chanting, pealing bells from the nearby temple and the cooing of birds. Remembering Vivekananda at Poovar Lake From Mekosha, we made memorable excursions to the nearby Poovar Lake and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari. Gliding down the Poovar Lake for two hours, with the incredible greenery all around us, the migratory birds flocking on trees, and the floating restaurants to replenish our thirst and hunger was a magical experience for the senses. The huge one-foot butterfish and the golden fried tiger prawns nested on a bed of green chillies is every Bong’s idea of a great vacation, and we were no exception. From Poovar to the iconic Vivekananda Rock Memorial at the confluence of the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the Bay of Bengal was a nirvana moment. As we crossed the ocean to reach the rock memorial, we were reminded how the great Swami Vivekananda had plunged into its shark-infested waters since he had no money to cross the ocean. Lesson 2: Plunge into the ocean of samsara like the great karma yogi Vivek, having full faith and overcoming all fear. The Divine Mother Kanyakumari, who had done tapasya on the opposite side of the rock and has a famous temple dedicated to her, had inspired Swamiji to sit and meditate on the rock. Swamiji had ended five years as an itinerant monk, travelling all over India and needed divine inspiration to formulate his vision for a new India. This vision came to him as he sat continuously on the rock for three days, 25–27 December 1892. As we sat on the rock for three hours, with an incredible oxygen-rich wind blowing all around us, refreshing and re-energising us, we ourselves took a renewed pledge to love, serve, and leave the rest to God. At the confluence of the three seas and the temple of the Divine Kanyakumari, we ended our journey with thanksgiving for an incredible journey of healing and inspiration, through spiritually Incredible India, that started from the Mother’s lap at Kamakhya and ended at the Mother’s feet at Kanyakumari! 80 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Healing Journeys B.indd 80 18/07/18 4:44 PM

MEMBERSHIP FORM A relationship for life deserves the offer of a Lifetime Payment Details: Cheque /DD/Cash/M.O. no.__________________________________________________ Drawn On ______________________________Amount _______________ Date _____________________ Signature of the Applicant ` 20,000 Name _______________________________________________ Date of Bith ________________________ Occupation______________ Designation ____________ Address _________________________________ ___________________________________________City_______________ Pin Code __________________ State ______________Contact No. _________________ Email ___________________________________ For Online Registration visit: www.lifepositive.org For inquiries: Dharamveer: 09312191587, 08527290282, (011) 49563777 This is an estimated savings chart. For most club members, savings will be even greater; it may be less for some Yes ! I would love to be a lifetime member of the Life Positive Club Hurry! This is a limited time offer. Offer open till August 31st, 2018 • Free lifetime VIP subscription of Life Positive English • 15% discount on workshops organised by Life Positive Foundation • 15% discount on books published by Life Positive Publications • PLUS no increase in your Lifetime VIP subscription even if the price of the magazine or VIP courier service goes up. Become a lifetime* member of the Life Positive Club and reap the benefits at just ` 20,000 SAVINGS OF OVER ` 77,500 Lifetime subscription English On Workshops @ average 1 workshop per year Subscription of Life Positive English Books @ average of 4 books per year VIP Courier Service for magazine Total Benefits Your membership fee Savings ` 60,000 ` 2000 ` 97500 +++ ` 24,000 ` 11,500 ` 20,000 ` 77,500 +++ All payments must be drawn on "Life Positive Foundation". Funds are eligible for income tax deduction U/s 80G (5) (Vi) of income act 1961. Please fill this form and send it along with your payment to F1/9, 1st Floor, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase-I, New Delhi-110 020 for 20 years from date of Registration, Please allow 4-6 weeks for processing your subscription request All disputes will be subject to New Delhi jurisdiction only club membership MAY 2018.indd 2 10/07/18 4:14 PM

Managing Asperger’s syndrome Rajat Soni explains the disorder called Asperger’s syndrome and the life coaching methods which help to improve the patients’ quality of life “Remember, everyone in the classroom has a story that leads to misbehaviour or defiance. Nine times out of 10, the story behind the misbehaviour won’t make you angry. It’ll break your heart…” — Annette Breaux 82 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 THERAPY Asperger's syndrome.indd 82 18/07/18 4:22 PM

Icame across this acronym somewhere, which I feel has quite everything that can describe someone with Asperger’s syndrome. A - advanced vocabulary S - sensitive to criticism P - particular obsessions E - endless talking R - rigid G - gifted E - easily distressed R - regardless S - socially weak Asperger’s syndrome, also called Asperger’s disorder or Asperger’s condition, is a neurodevelopmental disorder, a cluster of symptoms, that affects one’s social, interpersonal, and intrapersonal daily functioning. Named after the Austrian child specialist Dr Hans Asperger, this disorder is primarily characterised by a significant reduction in empathy and social intelligence of the person. Asperger’s syndrome previously came under the umbrella of ‘autism spectrum disorder’. It came into existence as an individual diagnostic condition after the fifth revision of the Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorder (DSM-V). The parents of such children often worry how their child would manage his life in the absence of crucial social and interpersonal skills. But such children can be made considerably selfreliant by life-coaching. Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome Symptoms of Asperger’s syndrome are often noticed during the early years, typically when the child starts schooling. Though the symptoms may range from mild to moderate or severe, some common patterns are noticed among these kids: Difficulty in conversing or interacting with people. An inborn lack of social skills, which makes it difficult for them to make friends. Preference for spending time on their own. Difficulty making eye contact while speaking or being spoken to. Might also display some unusual gestures while communicating. Sensitivity to certain sensations, for instance, to certain foods, clothing, or sound. Exposure to those sensations evokes intense emotions that might be overwhelming. Maintaining a monotonous routine resistant to change. Introduction of any change might have an adverse effect on their mental condition. Enjoying doing a particular thing or playing the same game over and over again. Clumsiness and disorganisation in their daily lives. A monotonous voice tone in some. In others, fast speech that it is hard to understand. Mental Health 83 Asperger's syndrome.indd 83 18/07/18 4:22 PM

Navigating Asperger’s syndrome with life coaching According to Norm Ledgin in his best seller book Diagnosing Jefferson, many eminent personalities like Albert Einstein, Mozart, Marie Curie, and Benjamin Franklin have had Asperger’s syndrome and yet could achieve reasonable success in their lives, as we all know. The prognosis of Asperger’s syndrome is much better than other disorders in the autism spectrum list, and one of the main reasons for this is that the IQ level of children with Asperger’s syndrome is average, or above average in some cases. Life coaching is extremely advantageous for these children. Especially for adolescents, who are already struggling with immense physical, psychological, and social changes, life coaching gives them a vision, support, and a vast arena for improvement. An Asperger’s syndrome client, who was under life coach Kristina Sullivan, said, “I always come away from our sessions not only with a clear, succinct understanding of the underlying issues that are holding me back but also with specific actions I can take immediately to address them.” Medication often proves to be futile for supporting Asperger’s patients in the long run. While medicines and other forms of therapy help in addressing specific symptoms that manifest, life coaching gives a shape to their entire lifestyle. With the support of parents, teachers, and the child themself, a life coach helps in bringing about the desired changes in behaviour and maintaining them, to flourish in life. Role of a life coach A life coach is more than a therapist, counsellor, or guide. To a person with Asperger’s syndrome (and their family), a life coach is the bridge from despair to hope, the road that leads to achievement and acceptability. The International Coach Federation (ICF), along with the ADHD Coaches Organisation (ACO), has been working with such individuals and their families for several years and has effectively helped them reach their goals. The job of a life coach is to render full power to their clients and help them believe in themselves. Life coaching is less about changing, and more about improving. Working round the clock with multifarious techniques, life coaching helps in bringing about the desired changes in behaviour in a relatively short duration. It nurtures improvement in the academic field, social development, communication skills, and overall personality development. While medicines and other forms of therapy help in addressing specific symptoms that manifest in a person suffering from Asperger’s syndrome, life coaching gives a shape to their entire lifestyle. 84 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Asperger's syndrome.indd 84 18/07/18 4:22 PM

Life coaching methods Social skills and NLP coaching: A basic training in social skills with speech and language training helps to improve the social skills of children with Asperger’s. They might have strong language skills but what is more important is that they should be able to express themselves in an appropriate and better way. And that is what a life coach does. They help children to correct their awkward behavioural patterns and guide them to communicate in a better way with friends and family. Coaching parents: Educating the parents of the child suffering from Asperger’s can be very beneficial to the child’s improvement. Life coaching guides the caregivers in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the child. They are allowed active participation in individual and group sessions where they are guided on how to implement the best habits in the child’s daily life. Behavioural coaching: Cognitive behavioural techniques are an integral part of life coaching for Asperger’s syndrome. They help children to regulate their emotions, improve their behaviour, and develop a control over their impulses, fears, and anxiety by bringing changes in their thoughts and perceptions of situations. Applied behavioural analysis: Applied behavioural analysis (ABA) has been used by hundreds of therapists since the 1960s and is now used as an essential aspect of life coaching too. The main purpose of this is teaching communicative skills, academics, self-care, community living skills, and work. Sensory and motor coordination coaching: The sensory and motor coordination techniques are used by life coaches to stabilise kids’ senses and their reactions to external stimuli. This method is known to reduce clumsiness by gaining a good control over physical activities and increasing the hand-eye coordination. Having a better control over the senses helps the children have a better control over their emotions and movements too. This reduces awkwardness and increases social skills. As Tony Attwood has beautifully put it, children with Asperger’s syndrome are “the bright thread in the rich tapestry of life.” We must remember that each child is unique in their own way and guiding them to focus on their strengths should be the prime focus of a responsible parent. Teaching a child to love themself can do wonders when fighting with Asperger’s syndrome. So love them, guide them, understand them, and never judge them. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at [email protected] Mental Health 85 Asperger's syndrome.indd 85 18/07/18 4:22 PM

86 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 POSITIVE FOCUS There are two types of people in this world: Those who only know how to survive through the motions of life and those who live to thrive in life. While the collective goal is to be happy, unfortunately, many people believe that happiness comes from outside of themselves. Sadly, they are not aware that happiness is an inside job. If you are happy within, you will be happy with what you have, who you’re with, and where you live. Yet, if you’re not already happy, and believe that happiness lies in your outer achievements, you’ll always chase it in your relationships, in your work, and in materialistic possessions. At one point in time, I too belonged to the first category. For 18 years as a psychotherapist, I worked relentlessly to achieve both my personal and professional goals. I appeared to be highly successful and happy; but inside, I felt empty, tired, and miserable. I was living an unhappy, one-dimensional, robotic life and feeling depressed. More than two decades later, I realised that I was looking for happiness in all the wrong places. Finally, one day in 2006, my ill health forced me to turn inward and do a reality check, which resulted into an awakening. Thereafter, I immediately surrendered to my spirit and my higher Self and started asking for support towards my healing. With the help of various therapists and healing modalities, I was able to free myself of my old consciousness that blocked my inner joy. There are four primary chemicals in the brain which induce happiness: Dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. When these chemicals get secreted in our brain, our mood enhances, and we feel happy. Unfortunately, when the source of their secretion lies in materialistic pursuits, the effect does not remain permanent. While we may feel the surge of happiness induced by external stimuli, this induced happiness can put us on an emotional rollercoaster and make us lose touch with our authentic Self. History shows that by focusing on finding happiness outside at any cost, many famous and successful people have either died of serious health issues or have taken their own lives. In recent months, two famous and successful people—Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade—shocked the world by taking their lives. While I don’t know either person or case specifically, I can say from my own experience as a clinician that most of those who are depressed can find an easier way out of it, simply by doing their inner work. Heal all your past unresolved issues, to allow your brain to resume making happy chemistry. That is what you really need, to create sustainable success from the inside out. Your life is a gift. Make the best of it and be part of the global evolution. The secret of creating happiness Rita Soman is a USA based PSYCH-K facilitator. For more information or to book a Skype session with her, visit www.ritasoman.com Rita Soman Positive focus.indd 86 19/07/18 12:14 PM

Positive Focus 87 Vijay Singh Rathore Bloom against gloom Man cannot be successful without growing in a holistic manner. Holistic growth is an indicator of sound physical, mental, and spiritual health of a person. When a person has good self-image, high energy levels, resilience, freedom from diseases, and the ability to walk an extra mile, he is said to be physically fit. Similarly, positive attitude, creativity, good learning ability, enhanced self-drive, and interpersonal skills are evidence of sound mental health. Spiritual evolution is gauged by enhanced clairvoyance, an ability to see the big picture, a sound value system, and self-discipline.  Self-care plays a crucial role in creating and sustaining physical, mental, and spiritual strength. The super achievers in all walks of life—business, politics, workforce, skilled labour, or social service—know the value of self-care, which helps them go from strength to strength. He who is stuck in clearing backlogs and meeting deadlines, and spares no time for self-care, faces failure. To better our performance, we need to feel good about ourselves. To achieve that feeling of wellness, practice five principles of good health and preventive therapy: Right exercise: Walk briskly or jog for 15–30 minutes to detoxify the body and release negative energy from the nervous system. Practice a set of dynamic postures such as surya namaskar to release strain and tension, to relax pinched nerves and muscles, and to balance and align the body. Deep-breathing exercises such as nadi shodhana harmonise energy, heal emotional baggage, and stop cellular decay. Right diet: Eating similar food regularly results in nutritional deficiency. Right diet means eating a variety of foods which are rich in essential vitamins, minerals, fibres, fatty acids, amino acids, and other essential micronutrients. Right thoughts: Positive emotions such as peace, joy, and satisfaction send body signals of life-affirmation, whereas negative emotions such as fear, negativity, depression, and unresolved conflicts send life-negating messages. These can impair the immune system, leaving the body and mind vulnerable to various diseases. Proper sunlight: The sun is the ultimate source of energy on earth. Sun-bath has several health benefits as well. Enjoy this free gift of nature to nourish the body and keep it free of germs. Sound sleep: It heals the tired body, nerves, and brain. During sleep, the body regenerates damaged cells and tissues. Vijay Singh Rathore is an enlightened kriya yoga master, and a spiritual/motivational author and speaker. Contact him on 9818742027 Positive focus.indd 87 19/07/18 12:14 PM

88 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 The dwelling of the Divine In the backyard of a sleepy hamlet near Bhairahawa, Nepal, lies a tiny building—the Mahagathe Ashram. The place is accessible only through mud pathways that serve to mark the boundaries of the fields around. Only a discerning seeker can spot this obscure ashram hidden away from the humdrum of life. Young, cheerful, and unassuming, Adhishri Paramanugrahito Mahamunivandaru Sritha Mahagatha is the living patriarch of the elusive Rudra Sampradaya. The story of his grace began in a small town in the southern districts of Kerala, a five-hour drive away from the southernmost tip of India— Kanyakumari. When a young man, born into an orthodox Christian family, was led to the Himalayas in 2003, little did he know that he was led by the mystery of Kanyakumari and Kailash. He had nothing to rely upon except the vivid memories of his past lives that spurred him to look for a hermitage in the high Himalayas to complete his spiritual quest. Meeting his master, Shivaswarupa Trika Mahalaya, put an end to his quest. In 2011, the guru anointed Mahamuni Sritha Mahagatha as the Mahadhibhu of the Dakshina Marga Samayachara Rudra Sampradaya. It is the continuing lineage that traces its origins back to Adiguru Dakshinamurty, the one from whom Mahamuni Sanatkumara received grace and passed it on to Devarshi Narada. It was Devarshi Narada’s intervention that became instrumental in the creation of the magnetic field of spiritual upliftment that links the southernmost point of India with the highest point on earth, the Divine marriage of Kanyakumari with Kailash, immortalised in sanayasa. Mahamuni Sritha’s mission was decided for him—that of carrying the knowledge of absolute fulfilment to the masses without compromising upon the solitary and contemplative nature of the order. While blissfully staying in his tiny cave beside the master, the young disciple was woken up to the challenges of his mission when the master asked him to go live in the world. The master would often whisper in his ears, “Create a home for the tired seeker.” The Mahagathe Ashram was born from this sacred whisper. In the valleys of the sacred Himalayas waits a master for the discerning disciple to reach the pinnacle of tantra—Kailash. The ones who cannot make the ascent are not left behind. The master is busy creating clever institutions to keep them on the path. A treasure trove of the ancient vidyas to ascension, passed down carefully from master to master, the Mahagathe Ashram, today, is within the reach of anyone who approaches saying, “Teach me, O venerable one,” the same way as sage Narada approached Mahamuni Sanatkumara. For more information on Mahagathe Ashram, visit www.mahagathe.org Adhishri Paramanugrahito Mahamunivandaru Sritha Mahagatha Positive focus.indd 88 19/07/18 12:14 PM

Positive Focus 89 Overcoming cell phone radiations through Psycho Neurobic Programming Today, emission of uncontrolled radiations from cell phones has become a nasty menace. Cell phones have become an inseparable part of our life. Although technology has undoubtedly revolutionised the way we live, it has come at an enormous cost. Many scientific studies have been conducted globally to analyse the impact of cell phone radiations on humans, animals, and the environment. Research shows that cellular radiation is causing irreversible damage to the human DNA and male fertility. There is 400 per cent increase in the risk of contracting brain cancer due to excessive use of smartphones. It poses grave threat to children as their skulls are thinner and easily penetrated by radiations. It also leads to sleep disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. World Health Organization has listed cell phones amongst possible carcinogens. Limiting the usage of cell phones to only necessary occasions is a good practice, but we may still need some sort of an antidote to these ubiquitous cell radiations. Psycho Neurobics is one such highly effective, non-invasive and side-effects-free antidote. The healing science of Psycho Neurobics, propounded by Dr B K Chandra Shekhar, has a definite solution for this global problem and is being practised by thousands of health seekers worldwide. Psycho Neurobics Solutions—3D Concentration on Indigo Colour: Rotate eyeballs 21 times clockwise and 21 times anticlockwise around the circumference of the hidden image. 3D Image Concentration invokes stereographic effects on the brain, similar to performing Tratak exercises taught in the ancient yogic science. Five minutes of concentration cleanses the neurological pathways inside the brain, energising the nervous system. The frequency of Indigo Colour is 670-700 THz (Visible Light) and is much higher than the frequency of radiation emitted by the cell phone, which is in the range of 450MHz to 2000MHz. If we ensure that our minds and brains are resonated with such higher frequencies, the lower frequency radiations will not have any effect on our body. Repeat this three times a day and thus create your own shield protecting yourself and your family from harmful cell phone and cell tower radiations. 3D Indigo Colour Concentration also cures brain disorders, gives relief from migraine, increases psychic powers, and increases memory and mind power. For more details: Sumit Upreti, Psycho Neurobics Trainer and SECRETARY, SIGFA SOLUTIONS. Address: B-845 Green Field Colony, Faridabad. Contact: 8861215587, 9212278462. Positive focus.indd 89 19/07/18 12:14 PM

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92 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 Zodiac-based guidance from your angel friends for the month of August Empowerment with angels ANGEL MESSAGES Aries (March 21–April 19) Archangel Ariel: Take guided actions towards the next steps to reach your dreams. Pray to release all procrastination and fears that may be holding you back. Be actively focused in your pursuit, whether it is regarding career, relationship, or health. Taurus (April 20–May 20) Archangels Chamuel and Ariel: You may be unconfident about things, but angels say you are ready to take the leap. You have grown through your learning. Don’t wait to do the thing you have to do until you are pictureperfect; contribute to the world. Gemini (May 21–June 20) Archangels Zadkiel and Gabriel: Some plans need revaluation. Take time to weigh all that it entails, and a new path shall emerge. Seek guidance and make no hasty decisions. You shall altogether tread a new transformative roadmap that shall help you achieve what you have to. Hold on to your truth; fear nothing. Cancer (June 21–July 22) Archangel Gabriel: A certain situation requires patience. Everything shall perfectly fall into place if you release control and have more trust. What you are praying for has an impact on lives too around you; thus, the preparation for it to be for the highest good of all involved, is necessary. Leo (July 23–Aug 22) Archangel Raziel: Situations require honest communication. Either you suppress or have been pleasing people. You need to stop both and pray that you are gifted the right words to speak your truth. Express it fearlessly and with loving assertiveness. Virgo (Aug 23–Sept 22) Archangels Metatron and Ariel: Angels applaud you for a decision that you have made. Release any confusion regarding more options and move forward on the plans. Even if you find the path daunting or overwhelming, know that it shall prove to be the correct choice for your overall growth and development. Be positively affirming. Libra (Sept 23–Oct 22) Archangel Jophiel: Pray clearly. Angels can only intervene when you ask for assistance. They are ready to help you with solutions as per God’s will. There are signs and messages they bring you regarding a situation. Be open to receive heavenly assistance. Scorpio (Oct 23–Nov 21) Archangels Jeremiel and Gabriel: Some key issues of life revolve around matters of trust. Situations could have crumbled them, but you have the power to iron them out. Release fear and allow the miracles to unfold. The health issues of an elder shall be resolved. Sagittarius (Nov 22–Dec 21) Archangel Raguel: Positive growth and expansion are on the horizon. You have come a long way and God knows that. It will be something that you have been waiting to manifest. Embrace it with inspiration and insight. The doors of possibilities are being opened for you. Capricorn (Dec 22–Jan 19) Archangels Azrael and Ariel: Detach from rigidity. Heavens have something better in store for you. Either you pray for what’s best for your life or stick stubbornly to what you want. Diligently continue a hobby or activity that was helping your inner growth. Open your heart to receive. Aquarius (Jan 20–Feb 18) Archangel Uriel: A period of recovery. All fears are about to fade away. Give attention to your inner space. The rat race shall continue, but the one running the race has to be in a balanced state of body-mind-spirit. A joyful future awaits you. Take actions towards life-affirming decisions. Pisces (Feb 19–March 20) Archangels Sandalphon and Gabriel: An important situation for which you are seeking an answer is being guided with a ‘No’. Let go of your clinging attachment to the results. Allow divine intervention to bring the right outcome to you. This ‘No’ shall pave the road for your best to come. © Roshani Shenazz is an internationally acclaimed spiritual guide, coach, and best-selling author of Angels Speak. Visit her at www.facebook.com/ RoshaniShenazz Angel messages.indd 92 14/07/18 10:56 AM

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Clear the cobwebs Clarity is the only spirituality Author: Susunaga Weeraperuma Publisher: Fingerprint! Pages: 224 `199 We rely upon spirituality to get peace of mind, presuming it to be the only way to pull ourselves away from the existent chaos around us. But, do pilgrimages, prayers, religious practices, and rituals actually ensure the goodness of our hearts?   Or are these mere euphemisms for our spiritual passivity? “Spirituality is always rooted in relationships and results in joy,” St. Paul had said. Hence, it is our altered approach towards people and situations in life that bring us peace and happiness. And what brings about that particular change in our approach? Sri Lankan author Susunaga Weeraperuma answers this question in his latest book, Clarity is the only spirituality. The author explains the significance of mental clarity in simplifying the quest for one’s own truth. This is possible only when one untangles oneself from the cobwebs of ego, selfishness, regression, and narrowmindedness, and fuels one’s thoughts with humility, happiness, selflessness, and wisdom. Weeraperuma outlines how man’s desire for power, prestige, and stature has driven him away from genuine moral codes. “Why have we failed to change despite our rich religious legacy? Where have we gone wrong?” he questions. Divided into 18 chapters, the book covers 18 significant concepts of life: From religious practices, tolerance, relaxation, and happiness to nationalism, chastity, fear, and solitude. It is embroidered with various real-life events by which the author explains how a little bit of selfknowledge, consciousness, thoughtfulness, awareness, and clear thinking can make one respond, and not react. Based in France, Weeraperuma spends his time indulging in Hatha yoga, pranayama, organic gardening, creative writing, reading, and meditation. His prolific publication range includes studies of religion, Buddhist philosophy, J Krishnamurti’s teachings, and meditation. His latest offering lifts the fog of ignorance surrounding day-to-day notions that drive our life, and inject a fresh dose of clarity into the way we see it, without the smokescreen of conditioned beliefs blocking our vision. Rashmi Rawat 94 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 REVELATIONS Revelation.indd 94 14/07/18 3:22 PM

A handbook for parents and kids Buddy, let’s medi! How to help your child focus and concentrate? Author: Maneesh Dutt Publisher: Notion Press Pages: 86 `150 Medi-buddies Authors: Saurabh Madan & Geeti Bhojnagarwala Publisher: Be a Meditator `500 Punya Srivastava A child’s greatest treasure is his or her infinite imagination prowess. Being in possession of this potent force within them is what makes for a conducive educational environment. This forms the undercurrent of Dutt’s book How to help your child focus and concentrate? A licensed mind mapping instructor, Dutt came up with this book to empower parents and kids with ways to ‘learn’ and ‘memorise,’ pique their interest in inspired learning, and help them navigate the banal lanes of insipid education modules our mainstream pedagogy offers them. Divided into eight chapters, the book covers different aspects of teaching and learning, and offers alternative ways to approach these. For instance, one of the chapters covers effective ways to teach textbook chapters to students by drawing colourful mind maps that start from the centre of the sheet and branch out into various segments, much like a child’s imagination that does not follow a linear path. Working as a compact guide, this book offers techniques which enable a child to move from a low understandinglow memory zone to a high understanding-high memory zone in the understanding-memory quadrant. Dutt’s book gets my recommendation. Medi-buddies is an illustrated book for kids aged four to eight, probably the first ever meditation book for tiny tots written by an Indian writer. It is a delightful hardcover, bursting with colours and eye-catching illustrations for little Buddhas. Narrated in a verse format, Medi-buddies is meant to take younglings through the whole process of meditation in a step-bystep approach. It starts with different sitting postures, covers the proper way of breathing, and tells you how long to meditate. Various animals and characters too make an appearance throughout the process, bringing in an expansive visual treat for children. Be a Meditator initiative (the publisher) is backed by renowned names in the field of spiritual wellness: Pyramid Valley Founder Brahmarshi Subhash Patri and renowned PLR exponents Dr Newton Kondaveti and Dr Lakshmi GV. The book is a step towards sowing the seeds of spiritual wellness in tiny hearts and laying the Punya Srivastava foundation stone for a well-rounded holistic life. Kudos to the whole team! Revelations 95 Revelation.indd 95 14/07/18 3:22 PM

96 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 • Pain is the hammer of the Gods to break a dead resistance in the mortal’s heart. • Our actual enemy is not any force exterior to ourselves but our own crying weaknesses, cowardice, selfishness, hypocrisy, and purblind sentimentalism. • The whole world yearns after freedom, yet each creature is in love with his chains; this is an inextricable knot of our nature. • We do not belong to the past dawns but to the noons of the future. • Evolution of consciousness is the central motive of terrestrial existence. • Sin and virtue are a game of resistance we play withGod inHis efforts to draw us towards perfection. • Live within; be not shaken by outward happenings. • The spiritual path is one of falling on your face, getting up, brushing yourself off, turning and looking sheepishly at God, and then taking the next step. This, I know SRI AUROBINDO JUST FOR LAUGHS TEACHING STORY A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other was perfect and always delivered water worth its capacity. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. This went on daily for quite some time. This made the perfect pot proud of its accomplishments, but the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its imperfection and was miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, the cracked pot said to the water bearer, “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.” To this, the bearer said, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I had always known about your flaw and had planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walked back, you’ve watered them. For so long, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my dinner table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not have been this beauty to grace my house.” The cracked pot BANYAN TREE Strange dreams One day, Mulla Nasruddin went to the local doctor and told him, “Every night for the past month and a half, I have been having strange dreams. Since the last few nights, I have been dreaming of having wrestling matches with donkeys.” The doctor gave Nasruddin a medicinal herb and said, “Eat this and your dreams will go away.” “Can I start eating this from tomorrow?” Nasruddin asked. “Why?” the doctor enquired. “Because I am scheduled to wrestle in the championship match tonight,” Nasruddin replied. banyan tree.indd 96 19/07/18 4:21 PM

Banyan tree 97 I am the bird of God in His blue; Divinely high and clear I sing the notes of the sweet and the true For the god's and the seraph's ear. I rise like a fire from the mortal’s earth Into a griefless sky And drop in the suffering soil of his birth Fire-seeds of ecstasy. My pinions soar beyond Time and Space Into unfading Light; I bring the bliss of the Eternal's face And the boon of the Spirit's sight. I measure the worlds with my ruby eyes; I have perched on Wisdom's tree Thronged with the blossoms of Paradise By the streams of Eternity. Nothing is hid from my burning heart; My mind is shoreless and still; My song is rapture's mystic art, My flight immortal will. - Sri Aurobindo Upon entering his Zen master’s house, the disciple left his shoes and umbrella outside. “I saw you arriving through the window,” said the master. “Did you leave your shoes to the right or the left of the umbrella?” “No idea! But what does that matter? I was thinking of the secret of Zen!” “If you don’t pay attention in life, you will never learn anything. Pay each moment the attention it deserves. That's the only secret of Zen.” - Zen parable INSPIRATION ONE-MINUTE WISDOM The blue bird The umbrella Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. - Nathaniel Hawthorne QUOTE banyan tree.indd 97 19/07/18 4:21 PM

Contributors Pradeep Krishnan Pradeep Krishnan is a seeker based in Trivandrum, Kerala. He is a student of consciousness, and is deeply attracted to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Vidya Murlidhar Vidya Murlidhar lives in Charlotte, North Carolina (USA), and spends her time writing, dancing, baking and learning about Reiki and energy healing Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna is founder Director at Pigtail Pundits, one of India’s oldest web design, development and marketing company, and a follower of Maharishikaa Maiyaa Nandini Sarkar Nandini Sarkar is an entrepreneur and director of C-Quel Management Services Pvt Ltd. She is also an ardent seeker and follower of Paramahansa Yogananda Rajat Soni Rajat Soni is a Teen Life Coach who helps teens and pre-teens channelise their energy in a positive direction Sanjiv Ranjan Sanjiv Ranjan is a mystical healer, founder of the All India Institute of Mind-body Medicine, and the author of Seven Mystical Laws of Self-healing Swami Chaitanya Keerti Swami Chaitanya Keerti is a facilitator of Osho meditation retreats, and has authored books like Mindfulness: The Master Key, The Alchemy of Zen, and Osho Fragrance Charles Shahar Charles Shahar is a Montreal, Canada, based teacher of yoga and meditation for the last 17 years 98 LifePositive | AUGUST 2018 contributors.indd 98 14/07/18 3:24 PM

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RNI No. 63438/96 Postal Regn.No.DL(S)-01/3174/2018-20 Licenced to Post Without Pre-payment U(SE)-49/2018-20 Published on 20th of every month Posted at ND PSO ND- 01 on 24th and 25th of advance month